Science and Religious Conflict

Abstract

The past decade has seen an explosion in empirical work on moral reasoning. We are coming to understand how people's moral judgments are shaped by interactions with others in their society. There are good reasons for thinking that people's moral judgements are mostly intuitive (recent empirical work by Jonathan Haidt and his collaborators supports this view) and that people's intuitions are powerfully shaped by the institutions around them, including religious institutions. There is also evidence that deeply religious societies may conceive of morality in ways that more secular societies find difficult to understand, making the process of overcoming moral differences very challenging.

We will investigate this recent work, in cognitive science, neuroscience, evolutionary biology and social psychology to try to understand the behaviour of people involved in disagreements about religious matters, including disagreements between distinct religious groups, disagreements within particular religious groups and disagreements between religious groups and a broader society.

We will try to understand whether moral differences reflect religious disagreements, or whether they are independent of them. Our aim is to help develop policies that can enable religious disagreements to be resolved before conflicts are generated. In order to achieve this goal we need to understand how religious perspectives give rise to moral views that lead to conflicts and how there might be scope to resolve those conflicts while allowing religious differences to be tolerated.

Our project has resulted in a broad range of outputs, including two monographs, an edited book, a series of papers in scholarly journals and chapters in edited collections, as well as blog posts and media reports. The following are our key findings:

Two related key findings are exemplified in the papers collected in Religion, Intolerance and Conflict: a Scientific and Conceptual Investigation, edited by Steve Clarke, Russell Powell and Julian Savulescu, Oxford, Oxford University Press, in press. Here it is shown that the best available scientific evidence suggests both that religion promotes tolerance (and reduces the likelihood of conflict) within social groups and that religion promotes intolerance (and increases the likelihood of conflict) between social groups. The ability of religion to promote tolerance within groups may have played a key role in enabling the development of large-scale human societies. The tendency of religion to promote conflict between groups is highly problematic in modern times in which individuals and small groups now have the capacity to kill and destroy on a mass scale.

In a paper in that same volume, entitled The Limits of Religious Tolerance - A Secular View Ingmar Persson and Julian Savulescu, argue for our second key finding, that religion should be kept out of public policy formation in secular liberal societies. The religious are welcome to argue for particular policies, but only if they can provide sufficient secular justification for those policies. In effect, Persson and Savulescu provide moral philosophical justification for the ongoing separation of Church and State.

A third key finding is presented in a paper authored by Russell Powell and Steve Clarke 'Religion as an Evolutionary Byproduct: A Critique of the Standard Model', British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, 63, September 2012, pp. 457-486. In this paper the view that religion is an evolutionary adaptation is defended. It is argued that religion has played a crucial role in the evolution of human groups, binding individuals into communities by promoting pro-social tendencies and enforcing shared moral norms.

A fourth key finding is presented in Steve Clarke's forthcoming book The Justification of Religious Violence, under contract with Wiley-Blackwell. Here justifications for religious violence are explored and it is argued that these follow the same logical structures as secular justifications for violence, but draw on additional premises grounded in the metaphysics of religious world views. On this basis it is argued that if policies designed to reduce religious violence are to be effective they will need to engage with the metaphysics of religious world views.

A fifth key finding is presented in the manuscript Religion, Peace and Conflict: Perspectives from world faiths, philosophy and the social sciences, by Joanna Burch-Brown, William Baker, Steve Clarke, Julian Savulescu, currently under consideration with Oxford University Press. Here we demonstrate that there are resources to aid peace-building and conflict-reduction efforts in a variety of religious traditions. We also demonstrate that these can be made more effective when informed by the latest results of the most relevant sciences.

Two related key findings are exemplified in the papers collected in Religion, Intolerance and Conflict: a Scientific and Conceptual Investigation, edited by Steve Clarke, Russell Powell and Julian Savulescu, Oxford, Oxford University Press,

Exploitation Route

1. Maintenance of website directing readers to findings and blogs (posted on http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/)

2. Use of materials by secondary school students for project work

3. A blog book is underway which will include some of the more popular blogs from http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/.

4. Alex Butterworth, a game designer, has expressed interest in creating an interactive computer game around findings

5. Potential use of both books in peacebuilding efforts (see Narrative Impact)

Citations of articles in academia and media.
Clarke contacted by Lord Alderdice, a key player in the Northern Ireland peace negotiations.
Public discussion via events, blog, podcasts. Podcasts have been used in teaching (schools and universities)

ARC Research Grant: Conscience and conscientious objection in health care

Amount

$333,300 (AUD)

Organisation

Australian Research Council

Sector

Public

Country

Australia

Start

07/2015

End

07/2018

Description

Brocher Foundation Workshops and Symposia

Amount

SFr. 6,000 (CHF)

Organisation

Brocher Foundation

Sector

Charity/Non Profit

Country

Switzerland

Start

06/2016

End

07/2016

Description

Leverhulme Visiting Professorship

Amount

£31,014 (GBP)

Organisation

The Leverhulme Trust

Sector

Academic/University

Country

United Kingdom

Start

01/2012

End

12/2012

Description

Moral Evil in Practical Ethics: Conference Funding

Amount

£4,492 (GBP)

Organisation

Mind Association

Sector

Learned Society

Country

United Kingdom

Start

01/2012

End

01/2012

Description

Collaboration with Jeanette Kennett

Organisation

Macquarie University

Country

Australia

Sector

Academic/University

PI Contribution

Joint successful research application to ARC.

Collaborator Contribution

Joint successful research application to ARC.

Impact

Sucessful grant application

Start Year

2013

Description

Collaboration with Vittorio Alberti

Organisation

Pontifical Lateran University

Country

Italy

Sector

Academic/University

PI Contribution

Visited the centre and looked at the role of religion in public life. Suibsequently submitted a Marie Curie Application to be hosted at the Centre, attracted due to SRC interests

Start Year

2011

Description

Tony Coady: Visits and Ongoing Collaborations

Organisation

University of Massachusetts

Department

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Country

United States

Sector

Academic/University

PI Contribution

Professor Tony Coady has an ongoing relationship with the project, fostered via research visits and the Leverhulme Visiting Professorship which was founded on the congruity of interests due to the Science and Religious Conflict Project

Article featured in 'The Critique's Great War Series Part II: Charlie Hebdo, Free Speech & Religious Violence Exclusive'.

Form Of Engagement Activity

A magazine, newsletter or online publication

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

International

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

This article is part of The Critique's Great War Series Part II: Charlie Hebdo, Free Speech & Religious Violence Exclusive. The Critique is a bi-montly review of select news topics by academic philosophers.

Cited in media: Bioethicist calls for a ban on doctors' conscientious objection

Form Of Engagement Activity

A magazine, newsletter or online publication

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

International

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

29 August 2016. Should Doctors Have the Right to Conscientiously Object? Health Report. ABC Radio National and podcast on ABC Online. Transcript and audio available at link below. The report was picked up by over 100 print media sources throughout Australia.

Invited online article relating to publication of book 'The Ethics of Human Enhancement'

Form Of Engagement Activity

A magazine, newsletter or online publication

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

International

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

The article coincided with the publication of the book 'The Ethics of Human Enhancement' and was included in Australian Quarterly's 'Best of 2016 Special Edition', which highlighted some of the year's best articles. AQ is Australia's longest running current affairs publication.

Keswick Hall Trust Lecture: Is religious freedom is necessary in a secular society?

Form Of Engagement Activity

A talk or presentation

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

Local

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

Public lecture by Roger Trigg

na

Year(s) Of Engagement Activity

2012

Description

Lecture on Conscientious Objection at QUT, Brisbane.

Form Of Engagement Activity

A talk or presentation

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

National

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

30 August 2016. Public Lecture: Conscientious Objection and Value Pluralism in Medicine. QUT, Brisbane. Work on conscientious objection undertaken for an ARC grant arising as follow-on funding from the Science and Religious Conflict award.

Three Public Lectures by Tony Coady. Supported by the Leverhulme Trust, funding attracted due to AHRC project. Public Lectures also podcast and summarised on blog http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2012/11/tony-coady-on-religion-in-the-political-sphere-part-1/ and http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2012/11/tony-coady-on-religion-in-the-political-sphere-part-2-deliberative-restraint/ and http://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2012/12/tony-coady-on-religion-in-the-political-sphere-part-3-religious-positives-for-liberal-democracies/. Summaries by PhD students as training exercise.

Year(s) Of Engagement Activity

2012

Description

Media The American Reader

Form Of Engagement Activity

A magazine, newsletter or online publication

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

International

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

"Page 99 Test: The Justification of religious violence",Campaign for the American Reader, April 26 2014

Organised by the 'Conscience and Conscientious Objection in Heath Care' research project (ARC grant arising as follow-on funding from the Science and Religious Conflict award). November 2015, Oxford. Many of the talks were recorded and podcast, videos produced for YouTube channel etc.

Presentation at the workshop 'The conscience of health professionals in the time of biotechnologies: present and future of conscientious objection in medicine', 7 June 2016 (Brocher Foundation, Switzerland). Organised by the 'Conscience and Conscientious Objection in Heath Care' research project (ARC grant arising as follow-on funding from the Science and Religious Conflict award)

Presentation on 'Conscienctious Objection' at Rousseau Annual Conference, Keele University

Form Of Engagement Activity

A talk or presentation

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

International

Primary Audience

Public/other audiences

Results and Impact

On 26 November, Professor Savulescu contributed to a paper on 'Responsibility, Conscientious Objection and Health Care' at the 'Rousseau' Annual Conference on 'Justice and Responsibility'. The event was open to the public and was well-attended.

A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview

Part Of Official Scheme?

No

Geographic Reach

National

Primary Audience

Media (as a channel to the public)

Results and Impact

http://www.ox.ac.uk/media/news_releases_for_journalists/120124_1.html

na

Year(s) Of Engagement Activity

2012

Description

Press release of academic paper and resulting interviews, media comment and other coverage

Form Of Engagement Activity

A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview

Part Of Official Scheme?

Yes

Geographic Reach

International

Primary Audience

Media (as a channel to the public)

Results and Impact

Publication: Terbeck, S., Kahane, G., McTavish, S., Savulescu, J., Cowen, P. and Hewstone, M. (2012) 'Propranolol reduces implicit negative racial bias. Psychopharmacology. The above publication provides evidence of the effects of some drugs on our judgements. We produced a press release that was widely picked up by the media, resulting in a variety of reports, TV, newspaper, and radio

The study gave 18 people propranolol and 18 a placebo. The propranolol group scored significantly lower on a standard test for testing subconscious racial attitudes.

The research raises the possibility that our unconscious racial attitudes could be mo

'Families shouldn't be allowed to veto organ donation', written by Julian Savulescu and Will Isdale. The article has been read by over 9000 readers, tweeted 135 times and shared with nearly 3000 Facebook users.

'Doctors Have No Right to Refuse Medical Assistance in Dying, Abortion or Contraception' at the 'Conscience and Conscientious Objection Workshop' 2 September 2016, Canberra, Australia. Organised by the 'Conscience and Conscientious Objection in Heath Care' research project (ARC grant arising as follow-on funding from the Science and Religious Conflict award)